GSM covers making phone calls, sending SMS text messages, and access to Internet via GPRS. A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is given along the contract with an operator, and the customer inserts the card in the phone to authorize it for use other than emergency dialing. The card is plastic (approximately 15mm*23mm*1mm) with 8 electrical contacts on. Its main purpose is identifying for the phone, the relationship between the contractor and the operator. This includes information about the mobile phone number, the home network, sms center phone number etc. The user (i.e. phone) usually has some amount of storage available on the card for a simple phonebook. SIM cards are standard ISO/IEC 7816 smart cards with a special SIM application on it.

The Neo1973 phone should work with any operator that has a GSM network (see Neo1973 compatible cellphone providers); it is tri-band and thus supports this frequencies: 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz. Thus it will work in most countries, with the exception of some of the US and some other parts of the world that completely lack GSM coverage.

According to User:roh on #openmoko, the 850 band doesn't work with the current GSM chips. This is being worked on. This means that if you're in the US or Canada there is a good chance it will simply mysteriously not work for you.

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GSM covers making phone calls, sending SMS text messages, and access to Internet via GPRS. A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is given along the contract with an operator, and the customer inserts the card in the phone to authorize it for use other than emergency dialing. The card is plastic (approximately 15mm*23mm*1mm) with 8 electrical contacts on. Its main purpose is identifying for the phone, the relationship between the contractor and the operator. This includes information about the mobile phone number, the home network, sms center phone number etc. The user (i.e. phone) usually has some amount of storage available on the card for a simple phonebook. SIM cards are standard ISO/IEC 7816 smart cards with a special SIM application on it.

The Neo1973 phone should work with any operator that has a GSM network (see Neo1973 compatible cellphone providers); it is tri-band and thus supports this frequencies: 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz. Thus it will work in most countries, with the exception of some of the US and some other parts of the world that completely lack GSM coverage.

According to User:roh on #openmoko, the 850 band doesn't work with the current GSM chips. This is being worked on. This means that if you're in the US or Canada there is a good chance it will simply mysteriously not work for you.